Cancer sufferers who have been devastated by the news of delayed surgery are expressing their sadness at having to wait for more. There is also the possibility that the NHS could be overloaded with Covid booster jabs.
As they await the outcome of Omicron’s vaccine race, patients are trapped in “no man’s country” as they wait for news on whether they will be treated or left behind.
One woman battling ovarian cancer said she has an open wound that will not be fixed before Christmas due to the backlog.
He said another that his father fears his battle against bowel cancer and contracting coronavirus will end in defeat while waiting for surgery.
Experts warn that elective surgery cancellation by the government could lead to many deaths.
They stated that ministers need to make sure cancer services are protected and prioritized this winter, regardless of the jabs.
But Sajid Javid this morning tried to reassure Britons appointments for people with symptoms of cancer will be ‘completely unaffected’ by the vaccine drive.
He stated that elective surgeries such as hip or knee operations will be delayed to allow people to get shots in their arms.
Sandra Cheetham (an ex-union rep) is currently fighting ovarian cancer. Due to backlog, she said she still has an open injury that won’t be repaired before Christmas.
Official data shows that 5.83million people are still waiting for NHS treatment. This is the 11th consecutive month of record numbers. Some 1.6million more Britons were waiting for elective surgery — such as hip and knee operations — at the end of September compared to the start of the pandemic
Sandra Cheetham is a former Union representative. She said that although my op for ovarian carcinoma was delayed by covid it only lasted a few more weeks.
“That was April. An infection developed because I was sick from late op. An open wound remains that I need to have plastic surgery repaired.
They said that before Christmas they were hoping. As I haven’t completed my post-op stress test, it is certain that this won’t be the case.
“Meanwhile, it is necessary to keep the medication packed each day. Due to an open wound, I couldn’t receive chemo. It seems like I’m stuck in no man’s land.
Paul Hearn is a French citizen who fears that his dad back in Britain will miss the urgently required treatment for cancer.
He stated that his father needed a bowel operation in January. I am afraid it will be postponed or Covid.
Patrick Goff said: “So my delayed spine operation vanishes into a distant horizon.”
He said, “Working in the Studio becomes more painful when the paralysis starts to spread.
My ‘normal’ life is over. I cannot even talk to my doctor to find out what can be done to alleviate the pain and deterioration.
Paul Grove commented: “Mother-in-law due to skin cancer operation. Already delayed six months.”
Michael Guest from Herefordshire added that he was awaiting a Pancreatic op. Is this going to be delayed due to Johnson’s Booster statement?
Experts also attacked the government, saying that other illnesses than Covid are killing people.
Dr Charles Levinson, chief executive of Harley Street’s Doctorcall, told MailOnline: ‘Basing decisions on models which have been woefully inaccurate is wrong and I fear millions of people will suffer the non-COVID consequences.
According to estimates, 50,000 people may have been unaware of their diagnosis after lockdowns.
“That’s cancer. But what about heart diseases, strokes and diabetes? Doctorcall saw a patient who had suffered a heart attack and was terrified by COVID. COVID does not kill everyone.
Karol Sikora said, “A tumor won’t spread uncontrollably over days and weeks. But months can often make the difference in life or death.”
There are ‘50,000 patients with missing cancer, and 24,000 additional cases that have been significantly delayed. These graphs will not be displayed at the conference. These numbers will continue to grow.
However, Mr Javid, Health Secretary, stated that appointments for patients with cancer symptoms will not be affected by the redirection of NHS resources.
He was asked on Today whether people suffering from breast cancer will still see their doctor within two weeks. His answer: “That will be totally unaffected, because this is an urgent appointment.”
Ms. Javid was asked if he could provide an “assurance” that anyone with the signs and symptoms of breast cancer would still be able see a doctor within two weeks. He replied: “That will not be affected by this new mission.”
According to him, affected appointments would include elective surgery.
“So it could mean, for instance, a knee or hip operation. However, sadly, someone has been waiting for quite some time. The hospital would be able to delay it if they wanted to get more booster jabs.
To meet its goal of administering a Covid-19 booster vaccine to every adult in England by December 31, the NHS may have to delay some scheduled appointments.
Nurse leaders expressed concerns about the expansion of vaccine programmes. This will allow for nearly a million people to be vaccinated every day. A charity however said that the Government should ensure the NHS’s cancer services are protected and prioritized.
Due to fears about a ‘tidal waves of Omicron’ which could lead to’very many death’, the month-long target was moved forward.
Boris Johnson made a recorded address to the nation Sunday night, stating that Britain must ‘urgently strengthen our wall of vaccination protection’. He also set a new deadline for everyone 18 and over by next year.
Scientists had found that two doses of vaccine are not enough to control the growth of the variant. He warned that the NHS might be overwhelmed if it does not have a rapid mass booster campaign.
42 military planning units will be deployed in every region to support the mission of administering millions more jabs before December 31st.
Additional vaccine sites and mobile units will be added. Clinic opening hours will be extended so that people can be jabbed round the clock, weekends and holidays. Thousands more will also be trained.
Johnson stated that to reach the speed we require, we will need to beat the NHS’s highest vaccination rate so far and keep it up day by day. This is going to take extraordinary effort.
“And since we’re focusing on boosters, and making this new target possible, it will mean that other appointments will have to be delayed until next year.
“But, if we do not act now, Omicron could become so large that disruptions like cancellations or loss of appointments for cancer would be more severe next year.
According to Government websites, 844 285 was the highest reported vaccination in the UK in a single day on March 20, 2021. This is equivalent to immunizing the whole population of Liverpool within one day.
Johnson made a plea for GPs and doctors to be more vigilant and protect themselves and colleagues.
Above is the current speed of the booster program (green bars), and the future pace (red bars) that it must accelerate to reach the target of one million jabs per day. NHS leaders warn it will be difficult to scale up the programme.
The graph below shows the number of vaccination centers that were opened in April for the initial drive, and the difference between the total numbers in the booster rollout. This graph shows that there are now fewer mass vaccine centres than ever before
NHS data indicates that people in their 40s and 50s who have received a Covid boost since September have double-digit numbers of eligible patients who still need to be given a third dose. Yesterday the NHS Online Booking System for Covid Boosters was made available to over-40s. Over 81% of the people between the ages 40 and 49 are still waiting for a booster.
As he intensified the booster drive for his aim of providing a million vaccines per day, the Prime Minister informed the country that Omicron was ‘coming’. Pictured above, is the Prime Minister at Wesminster vaccination centre.
NHS England stated that GPs will have to prioritize their care in order to make the most of Covid-19. They also need to deliver critical services such as emergency and cancer care.
According to the report, this could mean routine appointments might be delayed for people as part of a national mission to rollout boosters.
Steven McIntosh is the executive director for advocacy and communications at Macmillan Cancer Support. He said that everyone can help reduce pressure on crucial NHS care. This includes getting vaccinated and getting booster jabs.
He said, “But, the government must also ensure that NHS cancer services are prioritized and protected this winter in order to ensure nobody experiences long waits or disruptions in vital cancer care.”
Pat Cullen (general secretary, chief executive, Royal College of Nursing) stated that nursing staff played a key role in the administration of vaccines, and they are available to repeat the feat.
Ms Cullen expressed concern about “the scale and pace” of expansion. She said that nurses in the UK are already under enormous pressures and are facing unsustainable demands.
Below is Britain’s daily vaccines graph. This graph shows that there has been a slowdown in the introduction of jabs since September and October. Opposition parties consider this a wasted opportunity. Shadow health secretary and former Conservative ministers have asked why not more was done in September to spread the jabs.
Figures reveal that 23,1248,829 people in total – or 40.2 percentage of those aged 12 years and older in the UK- received a boost jab. But, to achieve the goal, rollout needs to be increased rapidly.
Following the UK’s confirmation of 1,239 more Omicron-related cases in the UK, the UK Covid Alert level was elevated to 4 from 3
Chris Hopson is the chief executive officer of NHS Providers. He said that while the NHS has done everything possible to implement the “hugely ambitious” booster campaign but it’s ‘already exceeding full stretch’ so they will need to prioritize.
According to him, as hospital staff get involved more it will ‘likely impact planned care and cause some additional delays.
Johnson announced that any adult aged over 18 living in England will have the opportunity to get their booster starting Monday.
He stated that the UK Government will support devolved governments to “accelerate” their rollouts third jabs.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon stated that Scotland will match the goal of providing boosters for all eligible adults prior to 2022. However, she added that there may be more Covid-19 restrictions to deal with the new strain.
Mark Drakeford, the Welsh leader, also stated that ‘further measures’ may be necessary to protect the country. He encouraged citizens to make having a booster a priority and made a promise to speed up the rollout.
Following a dramatic increase in Omicron cases, the UK Covid Alert Level was elevated to Level 4 from Level 3.
After receiving advice from UKHSA, the nation’s four chief doctors and the national director of NHS England made this recommendation to Ministers.
On Sunday, there were 1,239 more confirmed Omicron cases in the UK. This is an increase of 65% from Saturday’s 1,898 cases.
Nadhim Zahawi, Education Secretary, said that the number is likely to be 10x as high.
According to a spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care, “The pandemic put immense pressures on NHS and has caused wait lists to grow.”
“We’re committed to making sure people receive the right treatment. Cancer diagnosis and treatment have remained a top priority. Most cancer services are back at or higher than pre-pandemic levels.
‘Our record investment in the NHS includes an extra £2 billion this year and £8 billion over the next three years to cut waiting times over the coming years, including through delivering an extra nine million checks, scans and operations, making sure more patients get the treatment they need sooner.
“In order to ensure that this funding has a lasting effect and addresses long-standing health disparities, the NHS will deploy more efficient and innovative ways to work, such as opening new surgical hubs, at least 100 community diagnostic centres by 2024-25, to speed up getting checked.
- Has YOUR operation been delayed? Email james.gant@mailonline.co.uk